Titans Victorious Over Spartans, Eagles
UW-Oshkosh upped its women's volleyball record to 6-0 with wins of 3-1 over host University of Dubuque and 3-2 over Edgewood College on Tuesday (Sept. 2) in Dubuque, Iowa. It's the Titans' best start since 2009, when they began the season 29-0 and played in the national semifinals.
Katelyn Malcheski and Brooke Brinkman combined for 55 kills in the two wins. Malcheski led the way with 30 total kills to go along with six blocks. Brinkman added 25 kills and six blocks. Morgan Cizauskas had 83 of UW-Oshkosh's 90 assists and scooped 19 digs. Mandy Trautmann paced the Titan back row with 44 total digs and a 4.89 digs per set average.
Brinkman and Malcheski combined for 28 kills in UW-Oshkosh's win over the University of Dubuque (0-5). The Titans won by set scores of 25-11, 25-20, 16-25, 25-23.
Brinkman had 15 kills on a .367 hitting percentage and added three of the Titans' four service aces. Malcheski contributed 13 kills on a .344 hitting percentage. Cizauskas had a match-high 41 assists to go along with 11 digs and a team-best three blocks. Trautmann led four Titans in double figures with 12 digs. Jessica Fischer and Danielle Stoppenbach had 10 digs apiece.
UW-Oshkosh had 25 kills and hit .194 over the first two sets while holding the Spartans to 15 kills on a .016 hitting percentage.
The Titans had eight kills and seven attack errors in the Set 3 loss but rebounded by tying their season high with 18 kills in the fourth set. UW-Oshkosh trailed 9-3 in Set 4 but rallied to tie the score at 13-13. Set 4 was tied seven more times, including 22-22. The Titans got two Malcheski kills sandwiched around a Spartan attack error to close the match.
UW-Oshkosh led the match in kills, 51-32, hitting percentage, .165 to .125, and digs, 66-55. The University of Dubuque held advantages in service aces, 7-4, and blocks, 7.5 to 5.
The University of Dubuque's Olivia Larson had a match-high 18 digs. Teammate Klaudia Basierak had 14 kills and 14 digs.
For the second time in the last four matches, it took the full five sets to win, but UW-Oshkosh cruised in the final set to claim a win over Edgewood College and keep its unbeaten streak alive. Set scores were 18-25, 27-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-8.
Malcheski paced the Titan offense with 17 kills and added five blocks against Edgewood College. Brinkman contributed 10 kills and five blocks. Trautmann led the defense with a match-best 32 digs. Cizauskas had a match-high 42 assists to go along with eight digs.
After losing the first set, UW-Oshkosh trailed 20-16 in Set 2. Laura Trochinski provided a spark off the bench with three kills on the Titans last eight points to help UW-Oshkosh snare the Set 2 win, 27-25.
After playing to a stalemate through four sets, including a trade of 27-25 set wins, the Titans jumped out to an early advantage they never relinquished in Set 5, leading 8-3 at the side change and cruising to a 15-8 win. The Eagles had three kills on a -.032 hitting percentage in the deciding set while the Titans put down 10 kills and hit .269.
UW-Oshkosh's defense was strong, finishing with a 10-8 advantage in blocks and digging 80 attacks to the Eagles' 72. Edgewood College had more kills, 53-51, but UW-Oshkosh was more efficient, out-hitting the Eagles, .149 to .126.
Elizabeth Evans led Edgewood College (2-3) with 12 kills.
UW-Oshkosh hosts both Lakeland College and Carroll University in its home opener on Sept. 10 in Kolf Sports Center.